James Liang enters plea in Detroit federal court to conspiracy, agrees to cooperate in further investigations

A Volkswagen engineer pleaded guilty to helping the auto maker’s admitted efforts to cheat on emissions tests, becoming the first person criminally convicted in the U.S. in a wide-ranging scandal that has cost the German giant billions of dollars.

The engineer, James Liang, who has been with the company since 1983, agreed to cooperate in the continuing U.S. investigation, according to his plea agreement filed in federal court in Detroit. That cooperation suggests prosecutors are preparing cases against others at the company.